Vacuum-type debris collector



Sept. 11, 1962 DANEMAN VACUUM-TYPE; DEBRIS COLLECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Nov. 10, 1961 m T m m 551v DHA EMHA/ A TTOE/VE Y5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 10, 1961 ATTOFA/EYS 3 n m M .Q m M WM I l I H D w Q a & 5 N w wv mw. ///l| (MW! .1 N| IIIIIIIII rllrl ILLENF II.II

Patented Sept. 11, 1962 3,052,908 VACUUM-TYPE DEBRIS COLLECTOR Ben Daneman, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Central Engneering Company, Inc., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Nov. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 151,472 7 Claims. (Ci. 15-340) This invention relates to a mobile apparatus for picking up and removing trash and litter from highways, streets, or the like, and which employs a flexible vacuum nozzle operable from either side of the vehicle on which it is mounted.

It is known in this art to provide such a flexible vacuum nozzle for removing debris from along the streets, which nozzle is swingably mounted for operation from either side of the truck. One type of apparatus known as the turret type is shown in Patent No. 2,878,508, issued on March 24, 1959, while another type has a nozzle which can selectively be attached to either side of the tank in debris delivering communication therewith. In either case, the nozzle is then manually manipulated back and forth across the edge of the roadway or gutter to pick up the debris which is then sucked into the tank of the vehicle.

The present invention relates generallyto that type of vacuum cleaning device in which the nozzle is selectively attachable to either side of the truck body at any one of several locations and which utilizes a horizontally swingable boom mounted on top of the body from which the nozzle is loosely suspended. The arrangement is such that the boom can be swung from one side or another to thereby accommodate and support the nozzle in any one of its selected operating positions. This type of apparatus has certain advantages over a turret type of nozzle, for example, it utilizes less turns in and length of the nozzle, employs no rotary seals which often require attention, and results in less overall height.

In devices of this general type, it is necessary for the operator to be able to quickly manipulate and position the lower, free end of the nozzle so as to be sure to pick up all the trash as the vehicle moves along. When it is considered that this process goes on for a considerable period of time, the operator should be relieved of as much of the weight of the nozzle as is possible, and movement of the nozzle must be through a considerable arc and accomplished rapidly and easily. It is important that the nozzle be free to unobstructedly swing back and forth within a large area and also be readily positionable in a vertical direction.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a road cleaning apparatus of the type having a flexible suction nozzle connected to a source of suction and an open lower end for movement along the ground, and which apparatus has an improved power boom assembly for supporting the nozzle in any of its selected positions and for complete freedom of movement while in operation.

More particularly, the invention provides an apparatus of the above type in which the weight of the nozzle and of a vertically adjustable hoisting lever attached thereto are counterbalanced. The result is a nozzle which is completely unobstructed in its horizontal swinging movement and which is also easily and quickly adjustable in a vertical direction or in combinations of both horizontal and vertical movements. The arrangement is such that the nozzle and hoisting lever can be extended independently of the main boom and power unit.

Generally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved power boom assembly having an articulated hoisting lever that is operable within limits independently of the main boom. This hoisting lever supports a flexible suction nozzle of the road cleaning known manner.

apparatus and utilizes resilient means at a location well above the nozzle which functions to counterbalance not only the weight of the nozzle itself, but also of the vertically swingable hoisting lever. As a result, the operator can quickly position the nozzle in any position alongside the truck and with a minimum of efiort, there being no overhanging obstructions which impede the movement of the nozzle as in other prior art devices.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a cleaning apparatus embodying the present invention and as utilized in cleaning a catch basin;

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the device as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational View, on an enlarged scale, of the circuit interrupting device as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1, certain parts eing removed for the sake of clarity and on an enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan View of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 4.

The Vacuum Tank and Nozzle Referring in greater detail to the drawings, the cleaning apparatus is mounted on a self-propelled truck or like vehicle V having a fully enclosed and self-contained tank or body 1 secured to the vehicle frame 2, and which tank is pivotally mounted about an axis 3 so as to tip rearwardly to discharge the load in the tank in the well- The tank has a pair of doors 4 and 5 mounted on one side, and another pair of doors 6 and 7 on the other side. A similar door 3 is located in the rear of the tank, and as the construction and operation of these doors are identical, only one will be described.

The doors act to cover the openings in the tank which are defined by a circular flange 1t) welded in the tank. A pair of brackets 11 are secured to the tank just above the opening, and a quick-acting, Overcenter latch 12 is located beneath the opening. As shown in FIGURE 1, the rear end of the tank is comprised of a large dumping door 13 which is hinged at its upper edge to the main part of the tank, the door being shown in broken lines as swung to the open position.

A flexible nozzle N in the form of a corrugated hose has an annular, radially extending flange 14 secured at one end and which is adapted to abut against the flange 10 and under the brackets 11. When the overcenter latch is engaged on a lug 15 secured to the flange 14, and the latch 12 then moved to the locked position, the nozzle N is locked in the opening and is in debris discharging communication with the tank.

Thus, the nozzle N can be placed in communication with any opening in the tank and at either side or at the rear thereof, and those openings in the tank which are not in use are closed by their respective door.

A high vacuum is maintained in the tank by a high pressure blower 20 which is driven through multiple V- belts 21 by an internal combustion engine 22. A duct 23 carried by the blower is registrable with a duct 24 carried by the tank. These two duct portions abut tightly against one another when the tank is in the lower or operating position, and thus a vacuum is drawn from the tank by means of the blower. Suction at the lower nozzle end is thereby provided in the known manner to permit the vacuum cleaning of the street or other area.

The lower end of the nozzle has been shown as being connected to a large pipe 26 for insertion in the catch basin 27 or the like. Alternatively, various attachments can be secured to the lower end of the nozzle for being moved along the gutter or other portions of the street as the truck proceeds therealong. The lower end of the nozzle is operated manually by a man alongside the truck, and the nozzle must be capable of being moved quickly and through a considerable area to insure complete coverage of the street being cleaned.

Nozzle Support Means In accordance with the present invention, an improved means has been provided for supporting the nozzle in any of its selected positions of attachment to the tank and for permitting the nozzle to be swung through a considerable arc in horizontal directions and for being adjusted in any one of its vertical positions with ease. Furthermore, the improved supporting means for the nozzle act to counterbalance not only the weight of the nozzle itself, but also the weight of the vertically positionable hoisting lever to which the nozzle is attached.

Main Boom A main boom 30 is pivotally attached to the top of the tank on the vertical axis formed by the upstanding shaft 31. The boom is held captive on the shaft by the nuts 32 and can be swung in a horizontal plane to any selected position relative to the tank. The tank has a generally rectangular, U-shaped, horizontal track T (FIG- URE 2) welded to its top side, and this track is comprised of the two side rails 34 and 35 and the transversely extending rear rail 36. Thus, a horizontal track is provided along both sides of the body and also across the rear for supporting the boom in any of its positions. A rolling contact is provided between the boom and the track and provides good lateral stability for the boom. This rolling contact comprises a pair of long rollers 38 and 39 which are rotatably mounted in the angle iron brackets 40 and 41 Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the beam 30. In this manner, the rollers roll along the horizontal track T and are of suflicient length so as to be in contact therewith regardless of the angular position of the boom 30 relative to the body. The long rollers insure a minimum overhanging length of the boom, particularly if the track T is of considerable length in a fore and aft direction.

Tie rods 44 are welded between the ends of the boom and form a truss which results in a rigid main boom structure. A pair of heavy brackets 45 are welded in spaced apart relationship to the outer end of the boom member 30, forming a bifurcated end in which a vertically swingable hoisting lever is pivotally mounted on pin 51.

Hoisting Lever The hoisting lever forms an articulated end section on the boom for operation independently thereof within limits and for supporting the nozzle.

Adjacent the outer end of the hoisting lever, a series of pad-eyes 46 are provided for fastening a flexible sling for supporting the nozzle.

Power Lift Means A pair of arms 53 are also pivotally mounted on pin 51 and form a force transmitting link between the power lift means and resilient strut, both now to be described.

To the free ends of arms 53, a single-acting cylinder unit 55 is connected. More particularly, the cylinder unit 55 is comprised of a cylinder 57 pivotally attached at 58 to the boom member 30, and a piston rod 59 which is secured to the arms 53 by means of the pin 60. The cylinder unit is of the single-acting type and has a fluid conduit 62 which places the rod end of the cylinder in communication With a source of pressure fluid, such as a motor and hydraulic pump unit 65. A cable 66 extends from the battery 67 to the motor of unit 65 and has a bayonet switch 68 (FIGURE 3) mounted between the tank and the frame 2. Thus, the power lift means is automatically disconnected when the tank is raised about its pivot point 3. It is believed sufficient to say that when pressure fluid is admitted to the rod end of the cylinder, the rod 59 is caused to retract. On the other hand, the rod is caused to extend by the weight of the hoisting lever 50 and its associated nozzle, acting through the strut unit 56.

Resilient Cushioning and Counterbalancing Means A spring strut unit 56 is also connected to the arms 53 and consists of a rod 70 which is connected at its bifurcated end to the pin 60. The rod 70 extends through an opening in a bracket 71 welded to the arm 59 and has a compression spring 72 mounted adjacent its free end. The spring is held captive on the rod between the collars 73 and 74 and tends to urge them apart. A nut 75 is threaded on the free end of the rod 70 and holds the unit in assembled relationship. A saddle 77 is welded to the bracket 71 and thus provides a seat in which a rod 78 is urged by the action of the spring 72. The aperture 80 (FIGURE 5) is somewhat larger than the rod 70 to thereby accommodate relative movement between the rod 70 and the bracket, as the lever 50 is swung between its various positions. This play between the bracket and rod 70 is necessary because as the lever 50 swings, the angular relationship between the lever 50 and the rod 70 may also change. For the same reason, a socket-type connection is provided between the seat 77 and rod 7 8 to accommodate relative movement between the bracket 71 and the arm 70, thus eliminating binding and excessive frictional forces as the lever 50 is moved vertically.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the hoisting lever can also be connected by the sling to the rear door of the tank and then actuated to raise the door when the tank is to be emptied.

Re'sum The spring strut unit provides a resilient, shock cushioning means when the nozzle is elevated by the power lift means, and also provides a weight counterbalancing means for the nozzle and hoisting lever.

The action of the spring strut unit 56 is such as to counterbalance the majority of the weight of the hoisting lever 50 and the flexible nozzle suspended therefrom. It will be noted that this spring stmt unit is eflective to perform this counterbalancing function, regardless of the vertical position of the lever, because the lever 50, the spring strut unit 56, and the arms 53 are all connected together for movement as a unit by the hydraulic cylinder unit 55.

It should also be noted that the resilient counterbalancing means formed by the spring strut unit is located well above the lever 50 and completely out of the way with the nozzle. As a result, the nozzle is free to be swung in any direction without having its movement impeded by the resilient counterbalancing means.

The power boom assembly can also be used to open the heavy rear door of the tank, thereby eliminating the necessity of a separate hydraulic cylinder or other means for that purpose.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A vacuum debris collector comprising a vehicle movable over the area to be cleaned, an enclosed vacuum tank on said vehicle and having a series of side intake openings, a flexible pick-up nozzle selectively connectible to any one of said openings, a boom rotatably mounted on said tank and having a free end swingable in a generally horizontal plane, guide track means secured on the top of said tank, rolling support means between said boom and said track means, a vertically articulatable hoisting lever on said boom adjacent said free end and connected to said nozzle for support thereof, and power lift means between said boom and lever for articulating the latter.

2. A vacuum debris collector comprising a vehicle movable over the area to be cleaned, an enclosed vacuum tank on said vehicle and having a series of side intake openings, a flexible pick-up nozzle selectively connectible to any one of said openings, a boom rotatably mounted on said tank and having a free end swingable in a generally horizontal plane, a vertically articulatable hoisting lever on said boom adjacent said free end and connected to said nozzle for support thereof, a force transmitting link swingably mounted on said boom, power lift means connected between said boom and said link, and resilient counterbalance means connected between said link and said hoisting lever.

3. A vacuum debris collector comprising a vehicle movable over the area to be cleaned, an enclosed vacuum tank on said vehicle and having a series of side intake openings, a flexible pick-up nozzle selectively connectible to any one of said openings, a boom rotatably mounted on said tank and having a free end swingable in a generally horizontal plane, guide track means secured on the top of said tank for supporting said boom, a vertically articulatable lever pivotally connected to said boom and also connected to said nozzle for support thereof, power lift means connected to said boom, and resilient counterbalance means connecting said power lift means to said lever for articulating the latter independently of said boom and thereby vertically positioning said nozzle.

4. A vacuum debris collector comprising a vehicle movable over the area to be cleaned, an enclosed vacuum tank on said vehicle and having a series of side intake openings, a flexible pick-up nozzle selectively connectible to any one of said openings, a boom rotatably mounted on said tank and having a free end swingable in a generally horizontal plane, a horizontal guide track secured on the top of said tank, a pair of spaced apart and elongated rollers rotatably mounted on said boom for swinging therewith and engageable on said track for supporting said boom, said rollers being arranged in parallelism with said boom, a vertically articulatable lever on said boom and connected to said nozzle for support thereof, and power lift means between said boom and lever for articulating the latter.

5. A vacuum debris collector comprising a vehicle movable over the area to be cleaned, an enclosed vacuum tank on said vehicle and having a series of side intake openings, a flexible pick-up nozzle selectively connectible to any one of said openings, a boom rotatably mounted on said tank and having a free end swingable in a generally horizontal plane, a horizontal guide track secured on the top of said tank, a pair of spaced apart and elongated rollers rotatably mounted on said boom for swinging therewith and engageable on said track for supporting said boom, said rollers being arranged in parallelism with said boom, a vertically articulatable lever pivotally connected to said boom and also connected to said nozzle for support thereof, power lift means connected to said boom, and resilient counterbalance means connecting said power lift means to said lever for articulating the latter independently of said boom and thereby vertically positioning said nozzle.

6. A debris collector comprising a vehicle having a collecting tank thereon for receiving debris, a flexible pickup nozzle connectible to said tank at any one of a series of locations therearound, means on said collector for creating a vacuum in said tank and said nozzle, a boom pivotally mounted on the top of said tank and having a. free end swingable to either side of said tank, a hoisting lever pivotally mounted at one end to said free end for vertical swinging in respect to said boom, means for attaching said nozzle to said lever, a resilient strut unit carried by said hoisting lever, and a power lift unit connected between said boom and said resilient strut unit whereby said lever and nozzle are raised by said lift unit and said strut unit acts to counterbalance at least some of the weight of said lever and nozzle.

7. A debris collector comprising a vehicle having a vacuum tank thereon for receiving debris, a flexible pickup nozzle connectible to said tank at any one of a series of locations therearound, a boom rotatably mounted on the top of said tank and having a free end swingable to either side of said tank, a hoisting lever pivotally attached to said free end for vertical swinging in respect to said boom, means for attaching said nozzle to said lever, a resilient strut unit carried by said hoisting lever, a force transmitting link pivotally connected to said boom adjacent the free end thereof, and a power lift unit connected between said boom and said link, said resilient strut unit also being connected to said link whereby said lever and nozzle are raised by said lift unit through said link and said strut unit acts to counterbalance at least some of the weight of said lever and nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,831 Willett et al Nov. 15, 1932 2,772,438 Diaz Dec. 4, 1956 2,878,508 Sedwick et al Mar. 24, 1959 2,887,714 Hanson May 26, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 623,871 Germany Jan. 6, 1936 1,024,893 Germany Feb. 20, 1958 

